Union Square station (Somerville)

Union Square
A light rail station next to a railway line in an urban area
A train arriving at Union Square station in March 2022
General information
LocationProspect Street south of Union Square
Somerville, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°22′37.72″N 71°5′39.45″W / 42.3771444°N 71.0942917°W / 42.3771444; -71.0942917
Line(s)Union Square Branch
Platforms1 island platform (Green Line)
Tracks2 (Green Line)
2 (Fitchburg Line)
ConnectionsBus transport MBTA bus: 85, 86, 87, 91, CT2
Construction
Bicycle facilities120 spaces[1]
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedMarch 21, 2022
Passengers
3,645 boardings (projected)[2]: 6 
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Terminus Green Line Lechmere
toward Riverside
Former services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Terminus Green Line
2022
Lechmere
Preceding station Boston and Maine Railroad Following station
Somerville
toward Waltham
Watertown Branch Boston
Terminus
Somerville
toward Fitchburg
Boston – Fitchburg
Location
Map

Union Square station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located in the Union Square neighborhood of southeastern Somerville, Massachusetts. The accessible terminal station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Union Square Branch, which parallels the Fitchburg Line. It opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line.

The Fitchburg Railroad opened a station at Prospect Street in the 1840s; it was renamed to Union Square around 1875. The station was closed in 1938 and demolished around that time. Extensions to the Green Line were proposed throughout the 20th century, but a Union Square spur was not considered until the early 21st century. Several station sites and alignments were considered, with the Prospect Street location and the route along the Fitchburg Line chosen in 2009. The MBTA agreed in 2012 to open the station by 2017, and a construction contract was awarded in 2013.

Cost increases triggered a wholesale reevaluation of the GLX project in 2015. A scaled-down station design was released in 2016, with a design and construction contract issued in 2017. Construction of Union Square station began in early 2020 and was largely completed by late 2021. The station was initially served by the Green Line E branch, but is now served by the Green Line D branch. A major development project is under construction near the station.

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